10

Jump Start # 3387

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3387

John 8:57 “So the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”

As one walks through the Gospels, he will quickly see that Jesus said many shocking things. He didn’t say those things to get attention or draw a crowd. He said them because they were true. Bold. Outrageous. Unbelievable. Audacious.

Let’s walk through a few of those claims of Jesus.

  1. Before Abraham was born, I am (John 8:58). This is the setting of our verse today. Abraham had been dead for more than a thousand years, and Jesus claimed he was before Abraham. Jesus didn’t look old. The Jews couldn’t get it that Jesus was revealing that He was eternal.
  1. I came from Heaven (John 8:42). Here Jesus states, “for I proceeded forth and have come from God.” God is in Heaven, therefore Jesus came from Heaven. He’s not from here. He’s not like us.
  1. Moses wrote about Me (John 5:46). Jesus says the Moses wrote about Me. How could that be if Moses was generations before Jesus?
  1. I am greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). Jesus says, “something greater than Solomon is here.” He was referring to Himself. Solomon was the wisest, king of Judah, son of David, and yet Jesus claims to be greater than Solomon.
  1. The dead would be raised by My voice (John 5:28-29). The passage states that all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth. What authority and what power that represents.
  1. Those who believe in Me will never die (John 11:25-26). The death Jesus has in mind is spiritual death, or eternal death. Jesus came to give life.
  1. I am God. (Mark 2:5-11). When the crippled man was lowered through the roof, the first thing Jesus did was to forgive his sins. The Jews knew that only God could do that. To demonstrate that He had the right and authority to forgive, Jesus told the cripple to take up his bed and walk.

Back then, and even today, those statements are shocking. If they are true, and Jesus proved that they were by the fulfillment of prophecy, the signs and wonders He did and the testimony of His Father, then we must bow our heads and heart to Jesus. There is no one like Jesus. What He says ought to grab our attention. His words are the words that matter.

Jesus is Lord. He is not asking us to simply add church to our busy schedules. He is not asking us to be nice once in a while. The radical, audacious Jesus leads us on a journey that is bold, outrageous and unlike anything else. He wants us to let Him dwell within our hearts. He want us to place Him as Lord of our lives. And, when we do that, radical, audacious, and bold things begin to happen.

We forgive repeatedly

We love and pray for our enemies

We have sorrow for the wrongs that we do

We have a deep love for all people

We help anyone that we can

We long to please the Lord

We anticipate His coming

We want to spend forever with Him

He is Jesus, and He has changed our lives. We love Him. We follow Him. We want to be like Him. We can’t wait to be with Him.

“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

Can people tell that you have been with Jesus?

Roger

09

Jump Start # 3386

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3386

2 Chronicles 33:9 “Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.”

Manasseh was one of the late kings of Judah. His name is rich in Biblical history. The first Manasseh, was the eldest son of Joseph. He got a portion of land as Israel divided up the territory among the tribes. The Manasseh of our passage today, was the son of the great Hezekiah, the faithful restorer of Judah. This Manasseh reigned for 55 years, the longest of any of the kings. And, as our passage speaks, he was terrible.

King Manasseh completely rejected the ways of his father and His God. He built idols and altars to foreign gods. He practiced child sacrifices. He practiced witchcraft and sorcery. He even put an idol in the temple. He ignored God’s ways and provoked the Lord to anger.

The following verse states that the Lord spoke to Manasseh, but he paid no attention. The Lord allowed the Assyrians to rise up against Judah and Manasseh was carried away in chains with a hook through his nose. He was taken to Babylon. The great king of Judah would have been a trophy for these foreign nations to mock, laugh at, and humiliate.

While in captivity, Manasseh humbled himself and prayed to God. He realized Jehovah was the one true God. The Lord was moved by the compassion and brokenness of Manasseh and restored him back in Jerusalem. Given a second chance, Manasseh made good with his opportunity. He torn down the idols, got rid of the foreign gods, purged the land of all these false ways and returned to the Lord.

Manasseh is a great story of finishing strong. There are great lessons here for us.

First, so many waste the wonderful opportunities that are given to them. Imagine having Hezekiah as a father. So strong spiritually. So dedicated to the Lord. But like the prodigal in Luke 15, so many want nothing to do with this. Rather that using these tools and advantages to excel in the Lord, they run towards what is wicked, false and wrong. Young people today continue to run to the world with open arms, never realizing that there are literally thousands upon thousands that would love to grow up in a home where prayers are given at every meal, where worship is normal and expected and the choices of right and wrong are defined and clearly understood. Homes where if there isn’t anything decent on TV, then the TV is turned off. Where conversations are deep, insightful and helpful. Where love, grace and forgiveness are the standard. To be taken to worship where you are surrounded with godly people and living examples of those who desire to walk with the Lord. How incredible that would be.

Yet, so many, like Manasseh, choose to go the other way. They choose to dwell among the forbidden and the wrong. They bring great heartache and pain to their parents and they shame the Lord. So much potential, lost. Such a great opportunity, wasted.

Second, with all of our choices, there are consequences that follow. Manasseh was taken captive by the Assyrians. How many citizens of Jerusalem died in that conflict? How many homes were hurt because of the foolish actions of the king. And, just where were his foreign gods? They never protected him. They never helped him. They were lifeless, worthless and useless.

And, where were the prodigal’s friends once the money was spent and the famine came? The parties. The loose living. The reckless abandonment. And, no one was giving him anything. Not even the farmer whose pigs he was feeding. The good times turned into a nightmare. Alone. Hopeless. Helpless. The passing pleasures of sin is a short season. The long winter of regret always follows.

The prodigal experienced that. Manasseh experienced that. He must have thought, “I am a king. I am in the lineage of David. Yet, here I am in chains, with a hook in my nose, in a foreign country.” I have no army that will rescue me. My wicked choices have led to this. I have no one to blame but myself.

Third, God is gracious and forgiving and heard with compassion the prayer of Manasseh. The father of the prodigal came running towards him as he journeyed home. The broken and contrite heart God will not refuse.  The prodigal was accepted. Manasseh was given another chance. God allows us to turn our lives around and to finish well. Many start, stumbling through life, but they seem to get focused, get their direction right and they turn out strong. They finish strong.

Sometimes we must pray that hard prayer that our child, our friend, spends a night with pigs so it will open their hearts. For Manasseh it was chains, hooks and being a captive in a foreign land. It took that to deflate him and run the arrogance out of him. But then, he became useful to the Lord.

Finally, it’s hard for some to allow others to change. Where do we put Manasseh, among the good kings or the bad kings? Some will only see the wrong that he did. Others may only see the good that he did. Manasseh was both, as are all of us. We have a story and it’s not a pretty picture. But, we have been given a second chance. We have been forgiven.

Sometimes our attitudes and our words keep a person from being who they now are. We want to always remember the pain. We want to always focus upon the wrong. We can’t let go and we won’t let go. We won’t forgive and we will forever label the person as “Bad.”

Manasseh reminds me of the story of Jimi. Manasseh reminds me of myself.

Roger

08

Jump Start # 3385

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3385

Ephesians 6:4 “And, fathers do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

The other day I was around several of our grandchildren. They are always bubbly, talking fast, full of energy and always excited to see PJ (that’s me). Their parents, my kids, always seem tired. Boy, I remember those days. There is a reason why God gives children to young adults. Those of us in the senior crowd would need far too many naps to deal with them every day.

God has grand expectations for those who walk with Him. Sprinkled throughout the O.T. and into the N.T. is the spirit of actively raising your children to know the Lord. The home is the first true school. It is in the home that the child learns about responsibility, sharing, accountability and respect. Those core principles set the person on the right path in life.

Your child will learn about God, either the Biblical way from you, or some manufactured God that the modern church presents. That God lets you do anything you want. That God wants you to be happy more than anything else. That God doesn’t care much about the Bible, doctrine or details. Just love, that’s all that matters. Your child will learn the right way or the wrong way.

Your child will learn about the Bible, either correctly through you, that it is God’s word and inspired, or, from a confused college professor who claims it is nothing more than a collection of old tales and fables. But, your child will learn about the Bible.

Your child will learn about the church and worship, either correctly through you, or from a friend at a mega church that is feeling based and entertainment driven. But, your child wil learn about worship.

Your child will learn about money, either responsibly from you, or what he sees in our culture and that is being massively indebt, with no plans, goals or ideas. Your child will learn about money.

Your child will learn about love, marriage and sexuality, either Biblically from you, or from someone they are dating as they sit in the backseat of a car. One way or another, they will learn.

God expects parents to be the leaders, shepherds, teachers in the home. But raising children can leave one tired. There are a series of paradoxes about parenting.

  • The Paradox of emotions: Raising children is one of the greatest joys, but it can also be very frustrating.
  • The Paradox of responsibility: There is that eagerness to see them on their own and the reluctance to let them go.
  • The Paradox of growing older: There is an appreciation for your child’s help and the resignation of reversing the roles.

For every battle that is fought in the home, realize that you are teaching, illustrating and trying to win their hearts to the Lord. The issue isn’t about the cell phone, or how late they stay up, but there is a greater battle and that is about right and wrong. It’s hard arguing with teens. They have it in their minds that they know and they know everything. The problem is, your teen has never been twenty-five years old. You have. Your teen has never had to pay a mortgage. You have. Your teen has never had to balance schedules, figure out how to pay for everything, and how to think about every single person in that house. You have. And, that gives you, the parent not only wisdom and an advantage, it gives you an insight. You have been a teenager. They have never been your age.

Remember, it’s not who shouts the loudest. It’s not about who gets the other most frustrated. It’s about doing what the Lord wants. Keep the Lord in the discussion. Keep the Lord before their eyes. Young Joseph. Young David. Young Timothy. Young Josiah. Spiritually strong, confident and influencing others. Your teen can do that, but he needs your help.

The paradox of parenting…sure is something to think about.

Roger

07

Jump Start # 3384

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3384

Revelation 3:16 “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

I don’t do the cooking in our house. Not my thing and my wife is an amazing cook. But one thing I can do is grill. I’m old fashioned. Give me the charcoal, the smoke, and watching the coals until they are just right to put some chicken or steaks on. That’s me. I can do that. I come in smelling smokey but I love it. Food tastes great. I’ve had many opportunities to get a gas grill. Fast. Clean. Easy. But, that’s not the way I like it.

And, having cooked this way for decades, I know how to get the charcoal white and hot and ready for some steaks. There is an art to it. You don’t just toss a match onto some charcoal nor put the meat and veggies on before the grill is heated up. You gotta know what you’re doing.

Our verse today is the sad description of Laodicea. They were lukewarm. Of the seven churches listed in the Revelation introduction, Ephesus and Laodicea are the only ones mentioned elsewhere. Laodicea did not start out lukewarm. No one starts a church that way, just as no one tries to cook food on the grill without having the charcoals hot and ready.

I heard about a place recently that was small and struggling. They are barely keeping the doors open. Some were leaving one place to go help that place. In their words, they were trying to revive the place. Not a bad idea, but without a plan and without the right people, it’s a wasted effort. You can’t light wet or green wood. Won’t work. Elijah’s great sacrifice truly put that before the people’s eyes. His altar was drenched with water. A trench was dug around and it was filled with water. There is no possible way that fire should have started, but it did. It did, because God did it.

One cannot help a struggling church when they are struggling themselves. Weak people cannot make a church stronger. Weak faith needs help itself.

Laodicea started out strong. That’s how churches begin. They have dreams, goals and plans. There is a lot of excitement at first. Worship is powerful and great. But, much too often, that spirit fades. Time passes. The coals in the grill cool down and now not much takes place.

So, how would one light the fire in a church? What needs to be done?

First, there must be a desire among the people who are at that congregation to get on fire. They must want to grow. Some don’t. Some like small. Some want to remain as they are. And, with that spirit, the coals quickly cool down. No new faces. No effort. No diligence. No accountability. No nothing. And, that’s what is generally the outcome, nothing. It all begins with a heart that wants to grow.

Second, someone needs to be brought in that knows what he is doing. If you wanted to turn a business around, you’d look to someone that knew what they were doing. When a team fires a coach, the search is on to find someone who can win games. Just filling pews with people who have no interest in doing any more than just showing up on a Sunday morning won’t get the job done. Some places are so small they there is no leadership or shepherds. That attracts some who do not want any accountability or responsibility.

Third, plans need to be discussed to get things moving. Better Bible classes. More passionate preaching. A drive to invite and teach the community. A look at what is currently being done and what more could be done. Without a plan, the same results will happen every time.

Fourth, patience and prayer are essential. It takes time to turn things around. Sometimes it is too late. When the boat is at the edge of the waterfall, it’s too late to be praying for oars. That should have happened upstream and a long time ago.

Grilling out and helping a church has a lot in common. There’s a right way to do it. And, when it’s done right, great results follow.

Roger

04

Jump Start # 3383

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3383

Mark 6:20 “for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.”

Our verse today explains why John, the cousin of the Lord, the baptizer, was put to death. His preaching killed him. Actually, unrepentant hearts is what truly killed him. Herod had stolen his brother’s wife. He had no right to be married to her. King or not, the law of God applied to him. John said so. Herod stuffed John in a prison, yet he like to hear him preach.

Two statements about John’s preaching stands out. Herod was perplexed and Herod enjoyed listening. The word “perplexed” is perplexing. Here are other expressions of that word:

  • NIV: puzzled
  • Phillips: profoundly disturbed
  • ESV: greatly perplexed
  • CEB: greatly confused

Herod enjoyed listening to John, but he was very perplexed as he heard him. Perplexed but enjoyed. That’s an interesting combination.

Consider:

First, Biblical preaching must have an appeal to it or people simply will not listen. I have a lot of dear friends who love listening to country music. I’m not one. After about two songs, I’m done. Give me the ‘60s, the Beatles, Hollies, Dave Clark 5—that’s my music.

So, if I’m in the audience and the preaching comes across like listening to a country song, I’m struggling. It may be on me and I likely need to do some serious attitude adjusting, but Herod enjoyed listening to John, even though he was perplexed.

Here’s just a few thoughts, and this is simply personal and nothing more:

First, Illustrations and stories need to accent the points and principles of the sermon. Long, long stories that have to be explained, often causes the thought to jump the tracks and no one makes the connection. Look at the parables of Jesus. The prodigal son or rich man and Lazarus were likely the longest stories and they are not very long. Some parables were just two or three sentences. Keep the principles before the eyes of the audience.

Second, illustrations, examples and stories need to be relevant. Talking about movies that no one has seen falls flat on the floor. Talking about TV shows that are now fifty to sixty years old, misses a large part of the audience. Obscure, vague, and the unknown will not illustrate the principle. No one will know what you are talking about.

Third, preaching ought not to be viewed as getting a lecture from the school principle. Herod, while perplexed, enjoyed listening. People will come when they enjoy. Now, one must be careful and not allow that to be the motive and the drive of your preaching. Tickling ears makes one popular, but it also often conceals the truths of God’s word.

Why was Herod perplexed? Righteousness in the kingdom involves righteous choices and righteous living. The Herod family failed terribly at this. Blood dripped from their hands, from the little baby boys that Herod the great killed, to John losing his head, to killing of the apostle James. The Herods were a murderous, power hungry political mess. To be righteous, this Herod, would have to give up his current marriage. That is perplexing. Prophecies about the coming Messiah who would reign in the lineage of King David would be perplexing to Herod. The qualities of grace, forgiveness and kindness would have been perplexing to Herod.

What made these things perplexing is that Herod was outside of these divine principles. He would have to alter his ways and change his thinking. And, then there is John, himself. He seems to be an odd character. He is not a threat, yet crowds flock to him. He is not afraid to speak the truth.

Preaching ought to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Perplexed and enjoying. And, in some ways that ought to be our reaction to preaching. It troubles us because of what the Lord expects. It troubles us because we need to step up and do better and do more. Some things are complex and it takes some understanding to understand. Yet, with that, preaching can be enjoyable.

Every July and August in my home congregation, we invite different preachers to come in on Wednesdays and present a lesson to us. The lessons surround a hymn that is sung each week. The titles and topics come from the lines within that hymn. We always have great preaching. The guys truly bring their A game. And, it gives me a wonderful opportunity to listen to other preachers.

Enjoy preaching, even though it may be perplexing to you.

Roger